#e.g.: the stealer

[isitthemoon]

I have... opinions...... about the boyz comeback

[eroguron0nsense]

Looking for confirmation of this weirdly widespread belief that Law was originally intended to be a villain?

I hear a lot of people who make One Piece content arguing that Law was probably originally meant to be an antagonist and that Oda only changed this because of how popular he was, and it's... baffling? I know that Oda introduced them kind of on a whim on Sabaody and didn't expect to integrate them into the series anywhere near as much as they did, but the substantiation for this theory seems to be that "Law spends a lot of time smirking in Sabaody and has a scary epithet" which I understand but I personally think seems pretty lacking since, well,

Law isn't the Supernova in Sabaody who actually gets the most villainous foreshadowing, with much more emphasis being placed on Kidd's willingness to murder civilians, and even though he gets a kind of freaky ability he also frees Jean-Bart from bondage and has fucking adorable polar bear friend who he has a funny rapport with and it instantly makes him and his crew seem more appealing? I get that the Dr Heart Stealer theme and his general pre-Marineford/Postwar demeanour *might* lend to that interpretation but the vibe I got from Law was less "genuinely sadistic" and more "this is a shit-eating stoner pirate in his early 20s". He's definitely very different from post timeskip Law and even Marineford/PostWar Law, and has a few mildly menacing lines/loosely implied Doflamingo connection, but I hesitate to say that he was originally conceived of as a villainous character based off extremely limited information and I think that interpretation requires you to ignore certain aspects of Law's character in the arc he's introduced in that might conflict with it. Again, I absolutely think Oda realized that he could make Law a more popular or thematically/interesting character or that he liked the new conception of Law and started writing him differently, but I doubt Oda hard-pivoted from Villain Law to making him a kinda morally ambiguous cool guy character halfway through Sabaody/right after we met him just because of some initial positive fan reception. Edit: I also feel like this stems from how he's described based on secondhand descriptions in newspapers who are very clearly framing him as a criminal? And people just forget that the World Government's descriptions of their enemies (e.g. Devil Child, Surgeon of Death) are not and never have been meant to be taken as 100% reliable or reflective of their characters

[hannah-the-small]

~*SPACE-VERSE*~

Name: { Hannah Roberts} Age: { 8 }

{History}: After the death of her mother 4 years ago Hannah’s and her father moved into her grandfather’s. However he is anything but nice towards her Dad and even more manipulative towards his grandchild. However as time went on Hannah’s father made a tough choice and moved them out and brought them to the city. Their escape however was only brief, as not long after a strange group known as 'Star stealers' abducted Hannah and took her off world, her father stowing away. Having rescued her the two now face the tricky task of avoiding the Garganquader Empire in a Galaxy they can barely understand.

Recently its been found she has a peculiar gift, though it isn’t clear if she inherited it from her father or mother. They call it ‘magic’ as they have no current explanation for it.

{Personality}: Hannah is cautious and sometimes shy when meeting others depending on how they look or act (e.g. threatening) but can gradually warm up to them. Friendly, stubborn and occasionally mischievous Hannah has a good sense of right and wrong.

{Skills} Hannah is a very creative child who enjoys nothing more than to paint and draw (even if they are a bit childish) not to mention hide and seek CHAMPION. She is also open to trying out new things though may need some encouragement in areas she’s less familiar with.

_______

Name: { James Roberts} Age: { 26 }

{History}: James married a flower shop assistant against his parents wishes, however 4 years after she gave birth to their daughter Hannah she passed away from an unknown illness which none could find the cure. Plagued by guilt James moved in with his father and continued to work at his father’s company as the key inventor, but with his father’s controlling nature causing more harm with each year James made a difficult choice.

Packing his and his daughter’s bags he fled in the night for the city, managing to find a place to stay with decent rent. Unfortunately it was short lived, after moving around a strange group known as 'Star Stealers' attempted to abduct his child. Having little time to plan, James stowed away on their ship, later breaking her out and fleeing the ship. Now they travel from place to place, trying to avoid the Garganquader Empire and navigate his child's discovered gifts. Though it seems his own past has a few secrets of its own and he may not be as human as he thought….

{Personality}: James is a timid man who is kind at heart. He unfortunately has no motivation to stick up for himself when his family berates him, but he would travel to the moon and back for his daughter.

{Skills} James was a marvel with technology and the key to Omega Corp’s success; able to build, make blueprints for and flick through data as if it was a open book. He also has a surprising gift for cooking.

[scientistservant]

For Hiss: 💚💤🛡🍼

Basic self ship asks

💚: Who gets jealous?

Hiss, though he merely tells culprits to back off, if anything.

💤: Do you sleep together? If so, describe your sleeping positions and patterns (E.g. who steals the blankets, are either of you insomniacs, etc.)

The three of them (Hiss, Richard, and Silvia) all sleep together in the same bed, with Hiss' personal bed still nearby if he needs it. Richard and Hiss are the main blanket-stealers, the former because he's the biggest of the three and the latter for being cold-blooded, though Hiss does tend to get lost in the blankets as well.

🛡: Who’s the more protective one?

Between just Hiss and Silvia? Silvia. Though Richard is extremely protective of both.

🍼: Want kids?

Neither are opposed to the idea, especially with Silvia and Richard being royalty and wanting to have heirs, but at the same time having children might be taxing on all three of them -- especially Richard who has his duties as king first and foremost. Though I suppose that's what servants are for, right?

[wjbs-aus]

Helim The Eye-Stealer from Zeno Clash is one of the coolest videogame characters and I really like both his premise and design.

For those who haven't played the first Zeno Clash game, Helim's premise is that he's obsessed with becoming invisible, but since he's a weird forest-hermit in a surreal sciebce-fantasy setting (albeit one with a large helping of Clarke's Third Law), he attempts to blind every creature he encounters so that they can't see him. He's part of an entire forest-hermit society, the Corwids, who each have a thing they are obsessed with, called a Focus, which is also used as a suffix for their name (e.g Oxameter Who Walks In A Straight Line, Metamoq The Fighter, Mataki The Beholderl). Also he's a creepy-looking anthropomorphoc crow whose attack animations are all jabs and pokes, and in the first game (and maybe the second, but I can't remember) his special attack is temporarily blinding the player.

Also if this post is incoherent, it's because I am in intense pain because my lower jaw hates me.

[mlpwhatifs]

What if... Princess Celestia trained dozens of students (e.g. unicorn mares like Twilight and Sunset) at the same time?

What If T.2: Princess Celestia trained dozens of students (e.g. unicorn mares like Twilight and Sunset) at the same time?

"Welcome to my school for gifted unicorns." Celestia's voice echoed over the PA system. "Seeing as this is your first official day of classes this semester, attendance will not be taken to allow time to find your class locations."

Twilight paced through the wide halls of the school. Somehow, in the leadup to this, she'd had it in her head that this 'school' was going to be a one-on-one mentoring with the Princess herself.

"Lightbulb Dimmer" one mare called out, waving to somepony behind her. She looked over her shoulder, her eyes immediately widening at the sight.

Sure enough, one Lightbulb Dimmer, the daughter of the famed inventor of the electrical dimming switch, Dawnfire Bringer, stopped to converse with the mare.

Sunset Shimmer passed by on her left with Starlight Glimmer.

...wait, was she the only one whose name didn't rhyme with everypony else's?

---

"By the order of Princess Celestia, the Council of Princesses convenes for its first official meeting."

Princesses Twilight Sparkle, Sunset Shimmer, Starlight Glimmer, Lightbulb Dimmer, Dawnfire Bringer (she decided to re-enroll and finish her degree after years of success in the lighting industry), Buzzy Stinger, Netflix Binger, Moose Deflator, and more--all clustered around the tiny coffee table that Celestia had oh so generously donated after their "graduation".

Tirek didn't stand a chance against Moose Deflator when she brought out her kneecap stealer.

[byneddiedingo]

Henry Daniell and Greta Garbo in Camille (George Cukor, 1936) Cast: Greta Garbo, Robert Taylor, Henry Daniell, Lionel Barrymore, Laura Hope Crews, Jessie Ralph, Lenore Ulric, Rex O'Malley, Elizabeth Allan. Screenplay: Zoe Akins, Frances Marion, James Hilton, based on a novel and play by Alexandre Dumas fils. Cinematography: William H. Daniels, Karl Freund. Art direction: Cedric Gibbons, Fredric Hope, Edwin B. Willis. Music: Herbert Stothart. Costume design: Adrian. MGM was notoriously a producers' studio, a factory system in which the director was rarely allowed to stand out as the guiding influence on a movie. But somehow out of MGM's producer-driven concentration on high style in sets and costumes, and above all on the production of "more stars than there are in the heavens," George Cukor managed to emerge as one of the great directors. He did it in part by his ability to elicit definitive performances from actresses like Katharine Hepburn and Joan Crawford -- and later Judy Holliday and Judy Garland -- but most especially from Greta Garbo in Camille. Garbo's Marguerite Gautier is one of the great creations by an actress in the movies, but the remarkable thing about Camille is that Cukor is able to keep her performance from swamping the film. He remembers that there is an ensemble to work with that includes not only such formidable scene-stealers as Lionel Barrymore and Laura Hope Crews, but also a raw, untrained leading man, Robert Taylor. It's to Cukor's credit that Taylor holds up as well as he does against a luminous presence like Garbo, though it's perhaps to Garbo's credit that she makes us believe Marguerite is so profoundly infatuated with a man who has nothing but good looks to work with. Though Camille was always destined to be The Greta Garbo Show, Cukor makes her part of a very entertaining whole. He manages to modulate Barrymore's usual camera-hogging and turn him into a credible concerned paterfamilias -- in fact, Cukor directed two of the few Barrymore performances I really find myself enjoying, the other being Mr. Peggotty in David Copperfield (1935). He tames another performance that could have got out of hand in Henry Daniell's arrogant Baron de Varville, though he might have reined in Daniell's attempt to turn the French baron into an English upperclass ass: Daniell lays on the r-tapping (e.g., "veddy" for "very") a little heavily, and when he's asked if he wants to dine replies, "Ai'm not hungreh." Which brings us back to Garbo, who is glorious from her febrile first moment, clutching the camellias as if they were life itself slipping away, to her last, a death scene that has never been equaled. Garbo knew that the best performances are the most "actressy," the ones that transcend realism, that throw down a challenge to other actresses: Top this if you can. It's a knowledge demonstrated by many others, from Bette Davis and Joan Crawford to Jessica Lange and Meryl Streep. (Jennifer Lawrence shows signs of learning it, too.) Call it camp if you will, label them divas if you want, but the movies would be poorer without it.

[margumis]

😘 & 💤 for margumi !!

😘: What’s your f/o’s favorite thing about YOU?

my unshakeable character 🫶🏻 LMAO but actually, my kindness. he's very impressed with my ability to show even strangers love and kindness

💤: Do you sleep together? If so, describe your sleeping positions and patterns (E.g. who steals the blankets, are either of you insomniacs, etc.)

He is such a blanket stealer but is soooo defensive about it like "I don't do that" but oddly enough I wake up with half of my body without blanket... He is little spoon a majority of the time! So he usually only falls asleep if I'm holding him. We both love sleeping tbh, solid 10-11pm bedtime 🤞🏻

selfship q's!

[stonegeisler0]

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[st0rmyskies]

What an amazing anon Polly is! Sleeping HCs for the other six boyos? Mwah

Oooo you guise are such fun distractions tonight!

Legend: A tense sleeper when alone. He'll lay curled tight on his side and sometimes wake up with a little headache because his neck and shoulders were so crunched up all night long. When he has company (coughHyrulecough) he's much less tense, and he sleeps much more deeply. When he has a bed partner, he sleeps right up against them for the entire night.

Hyrule: Talks in his sleep. Will wake up, make eye contact with someone, say something completely ridiculous ("I have to have food ready in ten minutes.") and go right back to sleep, having no memory of that at all. A clingy little bed partner, he'll hug onto your arm and not let you go for the entire night. That's his arm now. Good luck finding another.

Wind: At the start of WW, he's curled up on his side on the wooden-floor lookout. I hc that this boy can sleep ANYWHERE. The literal King of Power Naps. He can put himself down for like a solid 20 min and wake up fresh as a daisy. I envy this about him. Also, total blanket-stealer.

Four: Total tummy-sleeper. He might start out on his side, but he always ends up lying on his stomach. All the better to read before bed, I imagine. Also definitely a cold sleeper, will seek out any nearby sources of warmth, usually ends up in someone else's bedroll before sunrise.

Wild: I honestly picture him as a rather annoying bed partner. If left to his own devices, he will sleep diagonally, crawl up across the pillows, is half out from under the covers, curl up at the very foot of the bed, just generally sleep in odd and inconsistent ways. Unless he has a larger bed-partner with him who keeps him in line (e.g. a very firm Big Spoon).

Time: A fitful sleeper most nights, deep sleep is short for him and he's constantly functioning on a sleep deficit. He's used to it by now. The long stretches of conscious time overnight he spends with his eyes closed; it still counts as rest! When alone, he sleeps on his back (and snores). When with someone else, he's a warm and sturdy Big Spoon.

[brian-in-finance]

Why the Oscars Have Become Harder Than Ever to Predict

The Hollywood Reporter’s awards analyst takes a look at how the explosion of international members of the Academy, who are largely unrepresented in the guilds, has changed the calculus.

Until the #OscarsSoWhite controversy exploded in 2016 — when, for the second consecutive year, no non-white performers were nominated for acting Oscars — the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was inviting roughly 300 people to become new members each year. Afterward, it welcomed considerably more diverse classes of 683 in 2016, 774 in 2017, 928 in 2018, 842 in 2019 and 819 in 2020, the year its “A2020” equity and inclusion goals were met, before returning to a more traditional 375 in 2021. In other words, 4,421 of the Academy’s approximately 9,400 current active members — or 47 percent — weren’t part of the organization just six years ago.

A byproduct of the Academy’s diversity push has been a huge increase in the number of its members who are based outside of America: up from 12 percent in 2015 to more than 25 percent, with 75 countries across six continents now represented. As a result of that — as much as, if not more so than, the Academy’s increase in diversity — I believe that the Oscars are now harder to predict, and that non-English-language films are more viable, than ever before.

The strongest hints about what the Academy will recognize with Oscar nominations and wins have long come from Hollywood’s guilds (e.g., SAG-AFTRA’s SAG Awards), trade associations (e.g., the Producers Guild of America’s PGA Awards) and honorary professional societies (e.g., the American Cinema Editors’ ACE Eddie Awards) because the majority of Academy members belonged to these organizations, too. But the same is true of very few filmmakers based abroad, which means that, these days, the tastes of one-quarter of Academy members aren’t accounted for when those groups weigh in, something that may explain the organizations’ recently spotty track record of “predicting” Academy behavior.

Moreover, many of the Academy’s international members are less deterred by subtitles than Americans, having grown accustomed to them by watching Hollywood’s English-language films. I suspect that this explains how Spanish-language Roma became only the 11th non-English-language film ever nominated for the best picture Oscar (and its two principal actresses received noms despite having been snubbed by the SAG Awards); how, a year later, Korean-language Parasite, became the 12th and the first ever to win that prize (the SAG Awards were the only precursor to honor it); and how, a year after that, Korean-language Minari became the 13th (and its scene-stealer Yuh-jung Youn became only the sixth winner for a performance given in a spoken language other than English).

International members also are considerably harder to reach through traditional Oscar campaigning than domestic members. Even before the pandemic halted in-person gatherings, no distributor had the resources to hold screenings or events in anywhere near 75 countries. And these members are obviously not going to commute past a Sunset Boulevard billboard or a Times Square subway station poster or make it to a talent-attended luncheon in New York or Q&A in Los Angeles.

The pandemic, of course, has shifted the equation. Academy members everywhere are interacting with one another less and relying more on critics to guide their decisions about which films to prioritize. Critics are generally more open to international fare than others, as demonstrated this season by the decisions of the L.A. Film Critics Association, the New York Film Critics Circle and the National Society of Film Critics to name Japan’s Drive My Car as 2021’s best film.

This season also is the first in which hard-copy screeners aren’t allowed to be sent to Academy members, which levels the playing field. Producing and sending DVDs to Academy members globally was expensive, sometimes costing as much as six figures, particularly when anti-piracy watermarks were required. As a result, many non-English-language films were sent only to select Academy branches (e.g., actors or writers), limiting their viability for best picture. Now, for a considerably lower fee of $12,500, any qualifying film can be uploaded to the Academy’s members-only streaming service. Right now, among the 157 titles listed under “best picture” on that platform are 10 of the 15 that were shortlisted for the best international feature Oscar and six others that weren’t.

So just because the SAG Awards didn’t nominate Parallel Mothers’ Penélope Cruz or The Worst Person in the World’s Renate Reinsve for best actress, the PGA Awards opted not to highlight Drive My Car and the DGA Awards will alomst certainly pass over A Hero’s Asghar Farhadi or The Hand of God’s Paolo Sorrentino, doesn’t mean that any of them should be counted out for the Oscars. For the Academy, it’s a whole new world.

Remember… many of the Academy’s international members are less deterred by subtitles than Americans, having grown accustomed to them by watching Hollywood’s English-language films.

[dangermousie]

2019 END OF YEAR KDrama Post

Wow, I haven’t made one in years. This is going to involve only dramas that came out in 2019 because I watched a hell of a lot dramas made prior to that and trying to figure out which ones will give me a headache.

DRAMAS WATCHED (In order of liking from most to least as opposed to pure quality; I am including if I’ve seen at least two eps AND feel it was enough to make up my mind; yes I realize that’s inaccurate, but that’s my list)

Extraordinary You -  A philosophy and religion course AND a love story, and perfect at both.

My Country - a brutal, passionate, intense masterpiece of a sageuk. This is how they should be.

Crash Landing On You - the two eps that have aired brought my joy in watching kdramas back to me so vividly. This is everything. 

Encounter - the perfect noona romance of the year for me. It seems to have little plot (powerful older woman, idealistic younger man) but the characters made me love them with an unhealthy amount of attachment and the mood is just perfect. 

Haechi - smart traditional sageuk with a heart. This one will make you love it but also respect it in the morning :)

Queen: Love and War - Period, romance, mystery, helpless king and feisty heroine. It’s everything I love in one package. 

Chocolate - if, like me, you like slow old-school melo with genuine grown-ups, this one is for you. Ha Ji Won and Yoon Kye Sang are both incandescent in this. 

One Spring Night - a rare slice of life that worked for me so so much. I rooted for the main OTP like crazy (I did skip all the sister stuff though because boring to me.) It’s just a breath of fresh air.

The Tale of Nokdu - a rare funny youth sageuk that worked for me (except, ironically, for when they tried to be politics-heavy and serious about it.) Wonderful OTP, funny situations and just generally a delight. 

Memories of the Alhambra - I can hear people screaming that I put this so high, but this is a faves ranking, not objective one, and I loved the unusual premise (it ultimately fell apart but it tried), and Hyun Bin’s performance was out of this world and the aaaaagnst and I enjoyed waiting for it each week until almost the end. That ending though!!!!!

Psychopath Diary - this is black comedy at its best and hysterical and smart and somehow got me invested in the hapless protagonist. 

Hotel del Luna - clever and funny and smart. Hong Sisters largely back to form. I found the sageuk parts more engaging than modern ones, but what else is new.

Search WWW - some parts of it worked for me more than others, but it had solid writing and cool characters and some interesting OTP(s). 

Love is Beautiful Life is Wonderful - has the weekend drama slowness but it lovely and fun. 

When the Camellia Blooms - it was well made and the OTP was great and the acting top notch, I just don’t tend to go gaga for slice of life dramas, especially ones involving market ladies, much. 

Flower Crew Joseon Marriage Agency - competently done, pretty period piece about nothing. It was enjoyable and forgettable at once.

Catch the Ghost - I put it as high as I did because the OTP really did have lovely chemistry but the story was a complete mess, the police work made no sense and the heroine’s character was like nails on a chalkboard for me.

Joseon Survival - I got about four episodes in and liked it a lot but then Kang Ji Hwan turned out to be a convicted rapist, they replaced the lead and I didn’t go back. I kind of want to because I liked what I saw and I am madly curious as to whether they changed the main character or just said he had a different face now, no explanation. 

The Last Empress - pure inconsistent trash but so entertaining!

Vagabond - I made it eight episodes in before I realized that I would have as much fun staring at traffic. It’s a competently done actioner but without more, actioners never work for me, so this was a viewer/drama mismatch.

Arthdal  Chronicles - incoherent, visually odd and boring, this is arguably the worst drama this year but I am giving it higher place because the cast really tries (even if it tends to fail because it has nothing to work with) and because it attempted something different even if it failed spectacularly. SO BAD.

Melting Me Softly - yes, my brain was fully melted by this soulless, charmless waste of Ji Chang Wook and my limited free time.

VIP - Any drama that makes the main mystery and thrust of the story who the husband cheated on his wife with is BORING. Seriously, this is not exactly Hercule Poirot. They wasted their cast - I have NO idea why Lee Sang Yoon agreed to be in this as a one note character and Jang Nara is playing a second scorned wife in a row but without even the entertainment value of her previous outing.

Abyss - aptly named. The best thing I can say about it is it didn’t offend me but oh boy was it dull.

Absolute Boyfriend - I loved the manga but it’s time to accept this can never be adapted well. They wasted the cast and that ending was just an insult on top of a trash heap.

The Lies Within - you cast that cast and deliberately have no romance. You are dead to me. 

Woman of 9.9 Billion - competently made, but it’s everything I dislike - dour unpleasant bored people behaving as if they are in a particularly dreary art-house French movie but without any nuance or interest the latter came provide. 

Love with Flaws - shrill, dumb, neither acted nor written by anyone trying at all. 

Rookie Historian Goo Hae Ryung - objectively, it’s not the worst drama on the list, but it’s everything I hate in one package - willfully ahistorical but not cleverly so, male lead incapable of acting, the characters so one-dimensional they disappear, this purports to be a period drama but about as period as a space ship. God, I loathed this. 

FAVORITE DRAMA

Extraordinary You - smart (so mind-bendingly smart) and moving and totally unpredictable and with so many things to say about free will and religion and self and nature of memory and narrative, this had an insane impossible premise and yet somehow managed to do it full justice and stick the landing. 

WORST DRAMA

People with Flaws - this is different from least favorite because even if I loathed e.g., Rookie Historian or Woman of 9.9 Billion, I recognized some positive features; it’s just certain things really rubbed me the wrong way due to personal preferences. But this shrill hot mess of a drama is really everything that’s wrong with dramaworld.

FAVORITE MALE CHARACTER

Prince Yeoning, Haechi - fiercely smart, strong, tormented by the duality of his birth (royal father, servant mother) but not letting this distract him from his purpose, loyal to the bone, and with integrity nothing can shake but where you can feel that it’s not easy and that it costs him.

FAVORITE FEMALE CHARACTER

Eun Dan Oh, Extraordinary You - a go-getter who remakes the world (literally); smart, cheerful, strong, beautifully human. She feels so real and yet is larger than anything around her. 

NEEDS TO BE MURDERED

Yi Seung Gye, My Country - a sociopath destroying lives in his quest for power and control, even the destruction of his own family barely gives him anything but momentary pause. He is the reason for the tragedy of MC. 

FAVORITE SHIP

Eun Dan Oh x Haru, Extraordinary You - their love is literally universe and god-defying. They have loved each other as different people in three separate worlds (and counting), and have defied loss of memory and even loss of self as well as death, the end of worlds, and their god and the narrative and literally anything and everything, to be together.

Runner Up: Soo Hyun x Jin Hyuk, Encounter: tender and decent and his bringing her back to vivid life and the way they love and support and compliment each other.  

Probably gonna be on list if doesn’t go haywire: Crash Landing on You: she is a SK heiress, he’s a NK officer, they have mad chemistry and so much potential.

NOTP:

Tae Mi x Morgan, Search WWW - love the actors, love the chemistry, love the characters in terms of the way they are written, but they are absolutely wrong for each other and there is no future of any sort but misery ahead. None of their issues are resolved but are swept under the rug. It’s a cautionary tale, not a romance. I did a long rant before so not repeating. 

BEST SECONDARY OTP

Scarlett x Ji Hwan, Search WWW - they stole the shippiness in the drama for me. Cooky and adorable and noona romance done right.

FAVORITE SCENE

Haru’s final disappearance, Extraordinary You - the lights start to go out, the world literally dissolving, Eun Oh and Haru clinging to each other, with his telling her she was his beginning and the end. His name, the one she gave him, is the last thing he hears. In a drama full of amazing scenes the very gist of which was defying the very creator and universe and meaning of existence, this was the one that stayed with me the most.

BIGGEST CRUSH

Seo Hwi, My Country - I have a thing for deeply honorable, deeply tortured period badasses with long hair and a death wish (see Choi Young in Faith etc.)

BEST SCENE STEALER CHARACTER

Yi Bang Won, My Country - he started out as an antihero and ended up as arguably a tragic villain (or maybe still an anti-hero) but oh boy, was he magnetic and fascinating and sucking out all the oxygen whenever he was in the scene.

NEEDS A SEQUEL

Memories of the Alhambra - WTF ending was that?! All that misery and no real resolution?! Dammit!

TROPE THAT NEEDS TO DIE

Youth Sageuk - I hate most of them! They are anachronistic and dumb and honestly, what is the point of having fully modern people in period clothes? Just make a modern show and call it a day.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

Melting Me Softly - Ji Chang Wook’s first project back from the military was an unfunny, unmoving, pointless mess with not an ounce of genuine enjoyment despite the excellent pedigree of everyone involved in front and behind the camera.

Arthdal Chronicles - the makers made excellent Queen Seon Duk, Tree with Deep Roots and Six Flying Dragons. The cast was uniformly A grade. The result was an open-ended, boring, incoherent mess that looks like a bad sort of a drug trip and made about as much sense. 

BIGGEST GOOD SURPRISE

Extraordinary You - I had zero interest in yet another high school drama with no actors I recognized. By the end, EY was an emotional brainy twister of a marvel that became my favorite drama of all time. I’ve been watching dramas for over 13 years so that’s saying something.

2019 DRAMAS I HAVEN’T SEEN THAT I MOST WANT TO WATCH

The Crowned Clown - I love sageuks and cast and it looks so smart and emotional

Angel’s Last Mission: Love - my next contemporary - I watched a little and loved what I saw

Fates and Furies - I saw a few eps and classic melo is so up my alley.

Clean with a Passion for Now - I like the cast and it’s a year of falling for hot weird bosses apparently.

Graceful Family - I love makjang and Im Soo Jung.

The Secret Life of My Secretary - downmarket Beauty Inside and I loved BI.

Love Affairs in the Afternoon - artsy adultery FTW

Item - I don’t like crime stuff but I am here for Joo Ji Hoon.

My Strange Hero - seems a little cooky but I am fond of Yoo Seung Ho.

MOST ANTICIPATED IN 2020

King: the Eternal Monarch - Lee Min Ho and Woo Do Hwan and parallel worlds and written by Kim Eun Suk. Yes Please.

I should probably make one for cdramas too though that one would be rather shorter.

[sanstropfremir]

kingdom ep4

is ikon’s stage concept based off of the movie inception? i never watched it but from all of the memes it’s about a dream within a dream, right? i’m not sure if you’re the one who mentioned before re. tbz + their games of thrones concept and how it alienates a portion of audience who hasn’t watched it. (it might have been a different blog. if so, sorry!) but that’s how i partially feel about ikon’s inception stage though it’s easier to understand in comparison.

initial thoughts of the the performances (i’ve watched these once, opinions might change later):

1. sf9’s performance seem a bit uncoordinated and awkward to me during some parts. e.g. in the beginning w the group fight and rowoon, i didn’t feel the tension that was needed to be like oh omg criminals fighting to steal. the storyline is similar to tbz and their cover of danger so naturally i compared the two, and tbz did a really great job. i d k maybe because i was expecting a lot more from sf9 :( esp because the stealer (song) is up their alley and concept, they could’ve done so much more.

2. genuinely surprised at tbz’s rendition and performance. i liked it more than i thought i would. juyeon’s tango was pretty + the group dance performance was nice. not sure how i feel about it in general but of the three, i think they were the best.

3. ikon was a let down lol it was boring imo i also didn’t like the remix. if my understanding of the concept is right, then it makes sense why they used the visuals they did. i d k i was expecting something more and it never came

holy shit anon you are so fast, i'm still processing the preview of the ateez costumes and eunkwang grabbing his tit when that guy got shot lol

yes the ikon stage is based off the movie inception, and yes i am the one that talked about audience alienation in the tbz stages!

i won't elabourate too much on my own opinions here since i've also only watched the performances once. i'll save any longer stuff for my full review whenever i finish it tonight, i still have meeting to get through before i can actually watch the stages properly.

personally i didn't find sf9's stage that unclear on first run and i think it was my favourite of this group. it's definitely fair to make a comparison between tbz's danger stage and this one since the concepts are similar/verging on the same. I also think it's fair to be disappointed by sf9's version because it doesn't have the same flair as the danger stage, but sf9 really did take the "reborn" theme seriously; they weren't trying to emulated tbz's style, they interpreted the song in their own colour, which is pretty visually different. sf9 has pretty clearly established their style as subtle and dramatic (as in relating to acting), versus the other groups who have a much more performative (as in dance/singing/spectacle combo) style, and although this was a really smart choice for their individual strengths and it adds a good diversity to the show as a whole, it makes their stages "slip" a little when compared to groups whose stages are big blowoff spectacles.

tbz........ i'm really struggling with tbz right now because a) their grasp of narrative is a little too tenuous still for me to actually find their style effective and b) they keep hitting intellectual properties that i don't like. i'll explain this more in my review but before anybody gets mad at me it's not that moulin rouge is a bad film, it's just my least favourite bas luhrmann and i only actually like two of his films anyways. there were a lot of good moments in the tbz stage but overall the stage felt very piecemeal, as an initial response.

i agree with you about ikon's stage, although the set design was so fun and inventive the lack of narrative really drug down the concept as a whole and made the stage a bit of a disappointment. the problem with using inception (the movie) as a theme is twofold, you gotta have a clear narrative because the visuals in the film have very clear functions, and also your audience has to have seen the film or understand it beyond the memes from the last ten years.

thank you for sending this in! i'd love to hear more if your opinions change! i'll try to have my review done soon but it might take a bit since i'm an adult and i've got a lot to say about these ones

[theoutcastrogue]

The causes of crime, classical Athens edition

[by Nick Fisher]

General discussions in classical Greek authors of the psychological origins of offences committed in a polis tend to start from a basic (and over-simple) distinction between two categories of motivations (cf. e.g. Aristotle, Politics).  Firstly, offences may be induced by philotimia, ambition, concern for or love of honour, and are therefore committed largely by the rich or the political elite, or those seeking to join such groups; these include, besides obvious political crimes, the offences of violent assault or exploitation motivated largely by hybris, the desire to gain pleasure by insisting on one’s superiority over others. Secondly, crimes may be committed through philochrematia, greed, desire for money; while some offenders may be rich elite men accepting large bribes, the majority of offenders in this broad category are often designated as ‘wrongdoers’ (kakourgoi) or ‘petty villains’ (mikroponeroi). [...]

In general, Athenians, like Aristotle in the passages mentioned above, found no problem whatsoever in identifying a causal connection between poverty and crime; our sources do not exhibit the uncomfortable denials expressed by some recent British governments. Forensic speeches readily make the connection between certain sorts of crimes and the pressures or compulsions of poverty, in contrast to crimes of calm deliberation or of hybris, which should excite no forgiveness at all. In a more elaborate theoretical disquisition, Diodotus, the speaker in Thucydides’ Mytilene debate who argues against the effectiveness of the death penalty, produces a sophisticated threefold typology of the causes of different types of offences. The first cause strikes a note by now familiar to us: ‘poverty, producing daring through necessity’, second comes ‘power, producing the desire for more through hybris and pride’, and third a more general category: the power of situations to arouse powerful emotions and stimuli for risky action.

In a different mode fall the theoretical discussions of the effects of property-equalisation in Aristophanes’ Ecclesiazousai. In the debate between the sceptical males and Praxagora we meet the women’s view that, come the revolution and the equal provision of sympotic food, drink and sex for everyone, all crime and hence the need for law courts would disappear. Blepyros suggests in turn that there will still be plenty of criminals about, and he mentions debtors who refuse to pay up, drunks who beat people up and commit hybris after a good feast, thieves, nocturnal clothes-stealers, and gamblers. Praxagora responds by claiming that such causes of disputes will cease to exist when everyone can have all the resources of food, drink, clothing and sex that they could desire; crimes motivated by desire for, or disputes over, property or cash will not occur. On the other hand assaults committed by those who have enjoyed a good feast and go round committing hybris may indeed still take place, and will need to be punished, presumably by some form of ‘legal system’ which will impose penalties in the form of cuts in the food rations. Here again we can see a contrast between the violent crimes induced by drink and traditionally upper-class excesses, and the thieving and clothes-stealing of those driven by poverty.

This emphasis on the compulsion of poverty as a cause of crime, however, did not result in any tendency in the Athenian legal system to withhold the severest penalties for robbery and theft.

~ Nick Fisher, “‘Workshops of villains’: Was there much organised crime in classical Athens?” in Keith Hopwood (ed.), Organised Crime in Antiquity (Classical Press of Wales, 2009)

[lgvalenzuela]

Thanks to @annabelle-tanaka-official for the tag.

MERULY

A: Attractive (What do they find attractive about the other?)

Emily found really fun how feral and inaccessible Merula was, she really never had a challenge seeing through someone until she came along, and needless to say, she likes a challenge. But what really did it for her was realizing Merula was also strong and independent just like she was. In Merula’s case she was drawn to her for just how mysterious (and suspicious) she was, and she really did find a mystery, just for her to unravel and discover, a complex person just like her, who was annoying and sometimes mean, but just as intelligent and elegant.

B: Baby (Do they want a family? Why/Why not?)

They always thought they wouldn’t have one, kids are too demanding (but truly it was Merula’s insecurity, she didn’t have Good parents, so why would she be a Good mother). Until Alnair came along, a weird, powerful orphaned child who was just too interesting not to have around. When they noticed they were as good as parents as they were at everything else, they were curious how would they be with a baby, and it was weird and exhausting but very rewarding.

C: Cuddle (How do they cuddle?)

They partake on what their friends call ‘affectionally bothering each other’ Especially Emily plays a lot with hands, kisses her hands, tickles her, boops her nose. She also blows on Merula’s ear which bother her the most, but well, Merula does it too.

D: Dates (What are dates with them?)

Emily really opened Merula’s min don the finest things in life, they go to the opera, to the theatre, to the orchestra, to the fanciest restaurants… she really likes treating her girl. They also really enjoy going ice skating together.

E: Everything (You are my ____ (e.g. my life, my world…))

Emily tells her she’s her haven.

Merula tells her she’s the most authentic thing in her life.

F: Feelings (When did they know they were in love?)

Emily realized when she turned down the cutest girl in Beauxbutons to go see Merula.

And Merula noticed when she realized that she looked forward to Emily’s letters more tan anything else.

G: Gentle (Are they gentle? If so, how?)

Surprisingly yes.

Emily especially likes leaving her flowers, giving her books with the sweetest things outlined just for her, writes her poems…

Merula composed some songs for her, wrote drafts of her letters so they would look as good as possible, and the thing that warmed Emily’s heart the most, she always gave her a report of how her sister was.

H: Hands (How do they like to hold hands?)

Merula doesn’t like holding hands, so she takes Emily’s arm, Emily shows off her girlfriend.

I: Impression (What was their first impression?)

Emily thought that she was so angry and that was funny, Merula thought: oh no, it’s a meaner version of Melissandre.

J: Jealousy (Do they get jealous?)

Yes. Especially Merula because Emily is a flirt and a known girlfriend stealer.

K: Kiss (How do they kiss? Who initiated the first kiss?)

They initiated their first kiss at the same time, they just kind of knew when the right time was. Their kisses are long and enthusiastic.

L: Love (Who’s says ‘I love you’ first?)

Emily.

M: Memory (What’s their favourite memory together?)

Just…the first time they saw each other, and they didn’t know how important the other would be.

N: Nickle (Do they spoil one another? Do they buy the person they love everything?)

Emily doesn’t spoil much, but does buy everything that reminds her of Merula.

Merula doesn’t spoil, or buy much for Emily, but what she does buy is more special and of better quality.

O: Orange (What colour reminds them of their other half?)

Emily: Purple

Merula: Dark green

P: Pet names (What pet names do they use?)

Emily: Blueberry

Merula: Petit raton laveur (Little racoon)

Both are to bother each other. Merula was mad when she discovered Emily just called the exact same thing her sister did but in french, so she started calling her Blueberry remembering the one time stained herself with blueberry jam on a date.

Q: Quaint (What is their favourite non-modern thing?)

Emily: Quill

Merula: Books

R: Rainy day (What do they like to do on a rainy day?)

Emily: Read horror novels

Merula: Sing

Slack off together.

S: Sad (How do they cheer each other up?)

Emily usually writes her a beautiful poem, or she gives her flowers each with a different encouragement meaning, or just gives Merula anything that she wants.

Merula sings her some of her favourite songs and accepts to treat her like a queen for a day.

T: Talking (What do they talk about?)

Magic, curse breaking and crime fighting above all.

U: Unencumbered (What helps them relax?)

For Emily is ice skating, for Merula reading or singing.

V: Vaunt (What do they like to show off? What are they proud of?

They’re both extremely prideful. Emily is proud of her intelligence, sophistication and capacity to steal your girlfriend. And Merula…well, being the best witch at Hogwarts.

W: Wedding (When, how, where do they propose?)

Because they were pen pals when they met, one year Emily decided to renew the habit of sending each other letters, just for fun, after fourteen letters she asked Merula if she noticed anything, she had started every letter with a letter that spelled ‘Will you marry me’.

They got married shortly after in 1992.

Their wedding was very fancy and sophisticated with a letter and distance theme.

X: Xylophone (What’s their song?)

I think I’m in love from Kat Dahlia.

Y: Yes (Do they ever think of getting married/proposing?)

Yes.

Z: Zebra (If they wanted a pet, what would they get?)

An owl, a cat and a puffskin.

Thank you @antnliliumignis for all your help💙

For Damien and Ben

For Morgana and Barnaby

For Mercy, Penny, Talbott, Badeea and Diego.

[fishjamlaugh]

Sheepie Assist -- Boaters get the sheepshead I hooked from the bridge!

Sheepshead fishing in the northern Gulf of Mexico is a year round event, but the wintertime often helps the angler by stacking these notorious bait stealers up on local bridges. Encroaching cold temperatures have always been viewed as the time to take some tiny hooks, light leader material, and a bunch of fiddler crabs to the bridge pilings and try your luck with these picky eaters. Typical sheepshead fishing setup (from hook to reel): -Size 4 hook (e.g. Mustad 9174 style) --24" fluorocarbon leader (20 lb. tied to hook with loop knot) ---30 lb. barrel swivel ----red plastic bead (optional...keeps the sinker off of your knot) -----1/2 oz egg sinker (maybe heavier depending on water current) ------20 lb test braided main line -------6-7 foot medium or medium light rod --------2000 to 4000 series spinning reel Music: 7/8 Jam (FJL) #fjl​ #fishjamlaugh​ #pierfishing